The ultra-rich are preparing for the worst by building luxurious underground bunkers and investing in cryptocurrency. In South Dakota, there is a community of over 575 decommissioned nuclear bunkers with full-size pools, hydroponic gardens, and stocked shelves of non-perishable food items. Many of these bunkers have Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency mining machines inside them.
Why are billionaires doing this? Author Douglas Rushkoff covered this in his book, "Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires." In the book, Rushkoff details a private talk with five mysterious billionaires who discussed how to survive "the Event," which they describe as the societal catastrophe they know is coming. Rushkoff explains that "the Event" could be environmental collapse, social unrest, nuclear explosion, unstoppable virus, or Mr. Robot hack that takes everything down.
The billionaires knew that armed guards would be required to protect their compounds from angry mobs, but how would they pay the guards once money was worthless? Rushkoff explains that Ethereum and Bitcoin are the top cryptocurrencies these billionaires are looking into. They are also mining Bitcoin or "staking" Ethereum down in their bunkers, as these cryptocurrencies are the easiest way for them to move into an abstracted realm, away from the bleak conditions on the ground of the world.
These billionaires don't care about the future of the planet. Instead, they want to accelerate the collapse of society so that the world can have a reboot and be reset into a world they believe they can build back better. Rushkoff suggests that these billionaires were part of the group who created and follow the Georgia Guidestones, America's Stonehenge of massive slabs of granite that was mysteriously and anonymously constructed in 1980. The guidestones were covered with inscriptions that were meant to "guide" current and future generations.
Although the billionaires whom Rushkoff met remain anonymous, there are many known billionaires who are building bunkers and investing in cryptocurrency. Silicon Valley's elite "preppers" are feeling vindicated as coronavirus wreaks havoc, according to a Telegraph article. While it remains to be seen whether their preparations will pay off, it is clear that some of the world's richest individuals are preparing for the worst.